The Shadows Grow
by Wild Tate
Summary: As the danger to Atlantis grows, Ronon recruits the legendary Shadows to fight alongside them. But capricious allies can be worse than none at all...
1. Shadows in Pegasus

**Authors:** Wild Force Ranger & Jadelyn Tate  
**Story:** The Shadows Grow  
**Disclaimer:** We own only the idea and two of the three ladies. Alice is Wild's creation while Nicole and Oliver are Jadelyn's.  
**Summary: **As the danger to Atlantis grows, Ronon recruits the legendary Shadows to fight alongside them. But capricious allies can be worse than none at all...

* * *

**Chapter One: Shadows in Pegasus  
**

If the trip out to the Aurora had done anything, it had taught Ronon just how much these new Atlanteans needed help. They had a very simple approach to fighting the wraith most of the time—blow them out of the sky. But there was something to be said for stealth and sneakiness, a quality that seemed to be in short supply among his new comrades.

After thinking about it for several days, Ronon reluctantly realized there was only one group who could provide the stealth backup these people desperately needed.

"So, why did you call us here, Ronon?" Dr. Weir asked, sitting down. Ronon shifted; Dr. Weir still made him uncomfortable, mostly because she was so completely different than any commander he'd worked under before.

"There are a group of people I think might be able to help you," Ronon told them, sitting down. "They have a history of doing well against the Wraith. They understand the need for stealth and sneaking around."

"We're stealthy!" Sheppard argued. Ronon ignored him.

"They're called the Shadows," Ronon told them. Teyla's mouth dropped open a bit in surprise; she obviously had heard of them before.

"The Shadow falls!" Sheppard grinned. Everyone but Dr. Weir frowned at him.

"What?" Ronon asked.

Sheppard's grin faded. "The Shadow...falls? Come on, with the fighting, and the…," he turned to the astrophysicist. "Rodney, you know what I'm talking about!"

"I do?" McKay asked blankly.

"Oh, no, you were probably experimenting on something," Sheppard said and tuned back to Ronon. "It's a video game, I'll tell you later."

"The Shadows fight the Wraith," Ronon said after a pause. Sheppard was visibly restraining himself from saying anything.

"The Shadows...I believed them to be a legend," Teyla said, trying to get everyone back on track.

"Wouldn't be the first time we met a legend," Sheppard pointed out, having calmed down a bit with the knowledge that Teyla had heard of them too.

"True...," she agreed. "But these legends are said to be responsible for thousands of Wraith deaths. And the rescue of several Athosians...including my father.

"They rescued your father and you don't know if they're real?" McKay asked incredulously. "How does that even work?"

"Rodney!" Sheppard gave the scientist a look.

"No one ever saw those who rescued them," Teyla explained with a shrug. "Not even my father."

Ronon nodded. "That sounds about right. No one sees them."

"You saw them."

"Hence the shadows part of there name," Sheppard and McKay said at the same time. They frowned at each other.

"I...was a special case," Ronon admitted quietly. Dr. Weir frowned, studying him intently.

"Oh?" Sheppard asked, leaning back with a grin. "Do tell."

Ronon shifted, not particularly happy about this tale, especially since he was fairly certain Sheppard was thinking more intimate thoughts. "I...was hunting the Wraith that was hunting me. The Wraith got distracted by the Shadows and I killed him. I didn't know who they were until later," he explained shortly. That wasn't even half the full story but they didn't need to know he and Josiane had accidentally shot each other.

"Convenient," Sheppard said, giving Ronon an unreadable look. Ronon shrugged.

"The Shadows said they try and help Runners when they can," he explained. _Which was why Ariana dragged me back to one of their safety planets and patched me up_ he thought but didn't say aloud.

McKay frowned. "They couldn't help you by taking out your tracker?" he asked and Ronon shook his head.

"They didn't have the knowledge," he shrugged. "Their worlds were destroyed as well. That's why they became the Shadows."

Sheppard was quiet a moment. "You think they'd meet us?" he asked.

Ronon paused. "I'm not sure," he told them. "They don't trust easily."

"Perhaps if you were to set up a meeting on a neutral world?" Teyla suggested and Ronon snorted.

"No world is neutral for them. Wraith and their followers can be found anywhere," he reminded her and she lowered her head in acknowledgement of that fact.

McKay was getting impatient. "Then what do you suggest?" he demanded. "This was your idea, remember."

Ronon sighed. This was the part the new Atlanteans weren't going to like. "I go alone. Leave a message where I know they'll find it. They'll call if and when they want to," he outlined.

"You can't leave our address lying around, Ronon," Sheppard shook his head immediately. Ronon growled low in his throat.

"Trust goes both ways, Sheppard," he reminded the colonel tightly. Sheppard looked at Dr. Weir who studied Ronon carefully.

"Ronon, you're sure these...Shadows...can be trusted?" she asked carefully.

"I trust them with my life," he answered without hesitation. Dr. Weir looked at Teyla who nodded slowly. The civilian commander turned back to Ronon.

"And no one else will find this message?" she asked. Ronon just looked at her. She took a deep breath. "Alright. Do it."

**~~*^*~~**

Ronon looked around the planet, remembering the argument he'd had with Sheppard. The man didn't want him going alone but the former Runner had been firm. Just because they didn't have the medical knowledge to take out his tracker didn't mean the Shadows were stupid—they had ways of knowing if anyone but Ronon came through the gate and to their haven.

He also didn't think he'd ever be able to get McKay away from the planet if he saw all of Ariana's security machines.

After a dozen rounds of lets try to trip up trespassers, Ronon found himself in the cleverly hidden haven of the Shadows. He ignored the food and boxes of weapons (he knew from experience they were booby-trapped) and went straight to Ariana's computer. He didn't even attempt to turn it on since the last time he did he ended up breaking the damn thing and she'd shot him for it. Instead, he took out a rolled piece of paper written in Common, the language the linguists back at Atlantis called Ancient. On the bottom of the letter was his own signature in Satedan so they'd know it was really from him.

He gently placed the paper on the computer where Ariana was sure to find it quickly. Then he dropped his bag and took out the food Teyla had convinced him to leave for them, both as a thank you from the Athosians and as a peace offering. Along with the food, he placed two of his many knives on top of the food as a gift for the women.

Once everything was situated, he left the same way he came, redoing most of the traps to the best of his ability. The Shadows would be very unhappy if he avoided all the traps and then forgot to put them back up.

**~~*^*~~**

The Shadows popped through the gate, smiling as they took in the abandoned planet. The redhead looked around curiously; she'd never been to this haven before now, having only been a Shadow for four months. The two brunettes frowned, looking around.

"You feel that?" the shorted brunette asked. The third Shadow nodded, holding up a scanner.

"Follow us very carefully," she told the redhead, who nodded. She knew about all the precautions they'd set up on other planets and wasn't surprised to find they had set up similar ones here. After walking the new Shadow through the precautions so she wouldn't be caught unawares, they finally made it to the haven.

"This isn't right," the taller, older brunette said, frowning as tucked her scanner into its pouch on her belt. The shorter brunette frowned at the pile of food in the center of the room.

"Where'd the food come from?" she demanded, eyeing it hungrily.

"Are those knives?" the redhead said, brightening.

"Stop!"

The redhead and the short brunette both froze, their hands outstretched for the knives. The tallest one carefully unstrung a trap. "Someone's been in here, avoided the traps, and put them back wrong," she told the other two.

"I thought you said no one knows this place!" the redhead exclaimed.

"No one is supposed to," the shorter one said, frowning.

The taller girl motioned to knives. "Those look familiar?"

The brunette studied them, frowning before realization crossed her features. "Ro!" she exclaimed brightly.

The redhead frowned. "Ro?" she asked blankly.

The taller girl rolled her eyes. "Ronon. A Satedan fri...a Satedan we know," she explained.

The short Shadow picked up one of the knives. "Hey, wait a minute...," she muttered. "This is the knife he stole from me last time we saw him!"

"Someone stole from you and he's still alive?" the redhead asked, amused.

"For now," the shorter one snorted. She passed the knife to the redhead and picked up a paper. "Here."

"Let me see that," the oldest said, grabbing the paper to study it. "It's in Common. And signed in Satedan."

"What does it say?" the redhead asked her before glancing at the short one. "This is a really good knife."

She smirked. "That was why I stole it from the Wraith," she confided.

The older brunette frowned at the note. "I think Ronon may have finally lost his mind," she said and then looked at the shorter brunette doubtfully. "How strong was that root you gave him last time?"

She waved a hand. "He'd have been dead by now," she told her dismissively. "What does he say?"

"He wants to ally," she answered, still frowning.

The shorter girl blinked. "You're right, he has lost his mind," she agreed. "Has he forgotten we're already allies?"

"No, not...he doesn't want us to ally with *him*. With the...," she looked up from the note, almost horrified. "With the *Earthers*.

The other two women stiffened. "The Earthers? On Atlantis?" the redhead asked incredously.

All amusement had fled from the shortest of the three. "The idiots who woke up the Wraith?" she asked flatly.

"Looks like," the tech agreed. "He's joined them recently, and they can't handle undercover, apparently."

The redhead snorted. "I'm not surprised."

The tech frowned at her briefly but ultimately doesn't ask. "He's left us an address to set up a meet. And the food's from an Athosian friend of his, to show good faith."

The short brunette perked up immediately. "Athosian? Is there any of that pastry with the little nuts in?" she asked and starts examining the food again.

The taller woman rolled her eyes at the redhead, who grinned.

"Sometimes I wonder why you're the leader," the tech told the shorter woman.

She looked up, mouth full. "Because you're not bossy enough," she told her.

The older girl bristled as the redhead watched in amusement. "I can be bossy!"

"Yelling at Ronon cause he broke your machine does not constitute being bossy," the leader told her, swallowing the food.

"But it's my machine!" the tech pointed out. "Anyway, you just _think_ you're the boss. I'm the power behind the throne."

The redhead rolled her eyes and took the letter. "Are we going to do it?"

The leader looked thoughtful. "Ronon was a Runner. For him to be with them...they had to have taken out his tracker."

The tech shrugged. "Or he doesn't like them that much, and he's setting them up," she said. "Either way, my scanner'll tell us before they get within a hundred feet."

"True," the other brunette agreed.

"He's never let us down before," the taller girl pointed out.

The leader snorted. "Speak for yourself!"

"Are you still mad because he shot you?" the tech demanded. "You shot him back! Get over it."

The other brunette pouted. "I still think he should have lost points."

"He *did* lose points. Remember?" the older girl rolled her eyes. "Just not enough to knock him off the trust list...which, in case you've forgotten, is * one* person long."

The leader stuck her tongue out at her. "Paranoia is your friend. Embrace it!"

The redhead shook her head. "Sometimes I wonder why I became one of you," she mumbled.

That's what I have you for," the oldest told the shortest. "Look, a meeting won't hurt anything. We need to go check out some things on Belken anyway. We could meet him there no problem."

The short one perked up. "Isn't that the planet where Solen lives?"

The tech stared at her firmly. "You can *not* hurt him this time. He won't even serve us any more, you have him so afraid of you. I'm tired of picking up our own drinks."

The smaller woman pouted. "But he deserved it!"

"That was before I even met you," the redhead pointed out. "He's never tried anything with me."

"Because I taught him not to!" the hit-happy woman said pointedly.

"Beating him with a piece of his own bar doesn't count as teaching," the taller woman pointed out. The shorter one frowned.

"Ronon would agree with me that it does," she told her stubbornly. The tech rolled her eyes.

"Ronon's not a good measure of normal," she reminded her. "Running for seven years will do that to you."

"That explains you, I guess," the redhead said softly.

The taller woman sent the redhead a half-hearted glare while the shorter woman just frowned at her. Neither one disputed it however—they learned long ago they were not normal.

"I'll leave the message? We can ditch Ronon no prob, and these guys can't be anywhere near as good as him or he wouldn't want our help," the taller girl pointed out softly.

"Whatever, but if it's weird I get to hit him," the shorter girl told them firmly.

"Which means you definitely get to hit him cause us meeting the Earthers? Is going to be weird."

"Don't you ever have a normal day?" the redhead asked. "With no shooting at anyone, or killing things?"

"No!"

"Boring," the brunettes answered at the same time.

The redhead simply sighed.


	2. Meeting of the Minds

**Authors:** Wild Force Ranger & Jadelyn Tate  
**Story:** The Shadows Grow  
**Disclaimer:** We own only the idea and two of the ladies. Alice is Wild's creation while Nicole and Oliver are Jadelyn's.  
**Summary: **As the danger to Atlantis grows, Ronon recruits the legendary Shadows to fight alongside them. But capricious allies can be worse than none at all...

* * *

**Chapter Two: Meeting of the Minds**

"Unscheduled Off-World Activation!"

"Who is it?" Dr. Weir said, hurrying into the control room. Chuck shook his head, studying the screen as Sheppard and Ronon came in.

"We're receiving a message," the gate tech told them. Ronon frowned, his instincts screaming at him that something was up.

"What does it say?" Sheppard asked as the gate deactivated. Chuck frowned, putting it on the main screen. Dr. Weir and Ronon both moved forward and then paused when they realized what they were doing. The civilian commander shook it off first, looking at the message.

"It's not in a language I recognize," Dr. Weir said as Ronon frowned at the screen. "Maybe send it to Nicole— "

"It's in Satedan," Ronon interrupted, reading it quickly. Dr. Weir and Sheppard looked at him.

"What does it say?" Sheppard asked, looking mildly curious. Ronon nodded to himself as he finished reading the letter.

"The Shadows will meet us on Belkan in two days time," he told Dr. Weir, his voice tinged with satisfaction. She looked surprised but Sheppard looked pleased.

"This is from them?" she asked and Ronon nodded. Sheppard looked at Dr. Weir and she nodded.

"Alright, AG-1 has a go," she agreed. "But I want a translation of this letter before then."

Ronon frowned but nodded in understanding. "I'll take it to Dr. Scott," he told her and she nodded her approval; she knew the head of the Culture Center had somehow talked Ronon into teaching her Satedan and so would be the best one to translate it for her.

**~~*^*~~**

Ronon didn't look around as he lead the way to the small bar they were going to meet the Shadows at. The crowds parted for them in the face of Ronon's large frame but he didn't take much notice—it wasn't that unusual.

"Don't call them the Shadows," Ronon told them quietly. "Call them by the names I introduce them as."

"Why?" John asked but from the look on his face, he was sure he already knew the answer.

"No one knows their names," the Satedan said quietly and Teyla nodded.

"And you'd like to keep it that way," Rodney guessed. Ronon nodded.

"They trusted me to keep their secret. If we're going to trust them to keep ours..." he trailed off with a significant look. John nodded.

"Just a group of friends out for a drink," John agreed as the bar they were looking for appeared. Ronon pushed inside.

"Don't drink the alcohol here," he told them.

Rodney frowned at him suspiciously. "Why not?" he demanded. Ronon just smiled and headed for the bar.

The bartender looked up as they approached. "What'll you have?" he asked, eyeing them.

"Ale all around," Ronon grunted out. The bartender nodded as Rodney frowned again.

"I thought you said— " he started but shut up when John elbowed him.

Still eying them, he starts handing out the ales. "Six Drachen," he said and Ronon dropped the coins onto the table, along with four extra.

"You know Josiane? And Ariana?" he asked, looking at him. The bartender spilled some ale in surprise.

"Sorry," he muttered and grabbed another cup. "Who's asking?"

"A friend of theirs," Ronon said simply. "They called."

"Friends?" he asked skeptically. "Those girls don't have friends."

Ronon leaned at him, his face a careful mask of stone. The bartender stared at him a moment before pointing and retreating to another patron down the bar. John decided he'd probably retreat too when faced with Ronon.

Rodney started. "Girls?!" he asked incredulously. "You never said they were girls!"

"_Rodney_!" John said, giving him a look. "A little discretion, please?"

"They're not girls," Ronon grunted out. Rodney frowned but didn't say anything since John was still looking at him. Ronon picked up two cups. "They haven't been girls since the Wraith attack."

The team followed him a few steps before stopping when Ronon held up a hand, nearly splashing Rodney in the process. He was frowning at the table.

"Problem?" John asked worriedly and suddenly wishing he'd agreed to bring Lorne and a squad of marines.

"I don't know the third," Ronon replied quietly. John looked over at the table. Two brunettes were sitting at a table in the corner, half covered in shadows with a very familiar redhead. John's mouth dropped open a little.

"Teyla, is that who I think it is?" he asked and the Athosian nodded in surprise.

"It does appear to be, yes," she said. Rodney frowned.

"Sora?" the physicist said. "What are the Genii..."

Rodney was cut off as he was elbowed again, this time by Teyla. Ronon looked at them. "She was Genii?"

"_Is_ Genii, last I checked," John corrected.

Ronon shook his head. "Not likely to be anymore," he told them easily. "They don't like the Genii."

"Any particular reason?" John asked curiously, hefting his gun.

"Beside the fact that they're homicidal maniacs?" Rodney butted in. Ronon smirked.

"They pissed of the leaders," he told the three. "Something about a prison breakout."

"I like these girls more every time you say anything," John grinned. Ronon snorted and headed for the table again.

"Ro," the tiny brunette with green eyes said, nodding at him but not getting up. She was leaning back in her chair, balancing on the back legs as she fiddled with a knife.

"Ronon," the other brunette said; she was sitting confidently at the table, all four legs of her chair on the floor as she coolly assessed the three new people through light brown eyes.

"Major Sheppard," Sora greeted him. John smiled.

"It's Lt. Colonel, now, actually," he told her proudly. "I was promoted." Sora smiled briefly before nodding at the Athosian and the fidgeting scientist.

"Teyla, Dr. McKay."

"John, Teyla, Rodney, and you know Ronon," John said, pointing them out. Ronon sat down next to the brown-eyed brunette, stealing a bite of something off her plate. Ronon jerked a thumb at each of the women as he introduced them.

Josiane Acalon was the green-eyed brunette that seemed to enjoy her knives; John wasn't sure but he thought she had at least seven blades on her person, not to mention at least one gun. That, estimate, however, was seeing her with her coat on and he suspected she had many more hidden where he couldn't see.

Ariana Toren was the one glaring at Ronon for stealing her food. She didn't seem to have as many knives but did seem to have an abundance of little gadgets and pouches. He vaguely remembered Ronon mentioning that the Shadows had roles that they tended to instinctively fall into, much like AG-1—Josiane was the pretty face to get to them out of trouble and Ariana was the one who devised all the technology and whatnot they used.

Rodney and Elizabeth had not been impressed when he'd likened them to James Bond and Q or Van Helsing and Carl. _Come to think of it, Ronon wasn't impressed either,_ John realized silently. He shook away the distracting thoughts and smiled brightly at the women.

"Well! Now we all know each other!"

"No, we don't," Josiane said bluntly. John frowned at her.

"We don't?" he asked. Ariana raised an eyebrow at him.

"We know Ronon," she said, motioning to the large Satedan. "Sora knows you."

John refused to fidget as the two brunettes studied him, Rodney, and Teyla while Sora gave Ronon a once-over. Deciding turnabout was fair play, he studied the former Genii.

The last time he'd seen her, Sora had been running around trying to fight the Wraith attacking Atlantis during the Siege. He hadn't been around when she was sent back to the Genii and he had to wonder why and how she had ended up with Shadows.

Like her companions, she was dressed almost all in black and browns, with some small amounts of pale green and blue thrown in. The coat she was wearing was just like Josiane and Ariana's but with small differences. Where Josiane had what seemed to be knives sewn into her coat and two pockets, Ariana had several pockets and lots of random pouches hanging from a belt that seemed to be sewn into the fabric. Sora's coat, on the other hand, was mostly bare but had a few knives sewn in like Josiane, a few extra pockets, and several clay figurines on chains that as far as he could tell were for decoration.

Josiane looked distinctly unimpressed as she looked at Ronon. "These are your friends, Ro?"

John bristled slightly. "These are your friends, Ronon?" he asked, deliberately mimicking Josiane's tone.

Josiane simply stared at him. John refused to be intimidated by a woman smaller than Teyla, no matter how homicidal she looked playing with her knives. _And when did she pull out another knife, anyway?_ John asked himself with a frown.

Ariana turned to Josiane. "This is why we have no friends, you know," she told her easily. Josiane pursed her lips a moment before smiling brightly.

"We have Ro!" she reminded her, grinning at the amused Satedan. Ariana rolled her eyes.

"This is why we have _one_ friend, you know," she reiterated. She turned to Sora. "You know them?"

"I was their political prisoner for several months," she answered matter-of-factly.

Josiane and Ariana both tensed, glaring at the three Atlanteans. John grinned at Sora hopefully.

"Bygones?"

Teyla sighed as Rodney sputtered.

"You tried taking over our, our base!" he reminded her.

Teyla elbowed him. "That was due to a misunderstanding between our leadership and Cowen," she explained.

"Cowen?" Josiane asked, stilling in her chair to stare at them suspiciously. "You're in league with Cowen?"

"No!" John exclaimed. "No, no, no, no. Can't stand the guy. He keeps trying to kill us."

"John!" Teyla scolded.

"Well, he does!" Rodney defended Sheppard's comment. Sora nodded reluctantly when both brunettes looked at her.

Josiane smirked. "A point in your favor then," she told the colonel, her disdain for the Genii leader obvious.

John looked at Ronon, grinning proudly. "I got a point."

Ronon wasn't very impressed. "I have sixteen," he replied simply and John deflated.

"He was once on twenty three," Ariana told them with a smirk. Ronon growled. "We had to knock some off."

John grinned at that. "Why?"

Josiane butted in. "Don't you dare," she warned and John's grin widened; he sensed a story.

Ariana ignored her companion and the growl coming from Ronon. "He and Josiane got into a fight. They ended up both getting shot," she told them with a smirk.

"He touched me," Josiane replied flatly. Ronon's eyes flashed as he glared at her.

"You were falling into a river!" he reminded her angrily. John's eyes lit up.

"Ha!" he crowed. "The Shadow Falls!"

Rodney sent him an irritated look but other than that, they all ignored his comment. He pouted.

"Ronon, there was a point to this meeting, yes?" Ariana asked the former Runner. "Because Josiane's going to hit you again if you're not careful."

"Or take points away," Sora said, her face the picture of innocence.

"I'd rather hit him at this point," Josiane grumbled and John finally realized why Ronon respected these women.

"No," Ariana told her firmly. "If you don't like what they're saying, you can hit the dark haired one."

"Hey!" John exclaimed, alarmed as Josiane seemed to accept that compromise way too happily.

"Well, there's no sport in fighting the other one," Ariana shrugged. John grimaced as Rodney frowned.

"Wait a minute..."

"Rodney, hush," Teyla told him before he could finish that thought. She turned back to the women. "I believe we have started on the wrong terms. May we start over?"

Josiane sighed. "What kinda trouble are you in?" she finally asked.

Teyla smiled at her. "We are in no specific trouble right now," she answered.

John looked at Ronon. "For once," he muttered and Teyla glared at him.

The Athosian turned back to the three women. "Ronon suggested you might be willing to form an alliance against the Wraith."

"He did?" Sora asked and then looked at Ronon. "You did?"

Ronon shrugged. "You fight the Wraith. We fight the Wraith," he said as if it were that simple. He suddenly smirked. "These guys can't sneak to save their lives."

Ariana eyed them thoughtfully. "They're wearing too much stuff," she told him and he nodded.

"Yeah, they do that," he agreed.

"Thanks, buddy," John told him sarcastically.

"And your outfits allow you to blend in?" Rodney asked skeptically. Josiane and Sora looked down at their outfits, frowning.

Ariana stretched, smirking. "Are you looking at my weapons, Rodney?" she asked coyly.

"Depends what you means by weapons..." John muttered as Rodney sputtered in embarrassment next to him. Sora laughed, eyes crinkled in amusement.

"Down, both of you," she ordered, only half-joking.

"We do fine on our own," Josiane pointed out. John frowned. "Why would we need you?"

Ronon ignored the byplay and shrugged. "They need help, and you're the best," he told her.

"There's only three of you," John pointed out. "And from what I understand, you have no base, nowhere safe you can stop."

"That's the beauty of it," Josiane told him easily but John thought he saw some flash of emotion in her eyes. "No base, no place for them to ambush or attack us."

"Nowhere to call home," Teyla pointed out softly and all three women stilled, expressions turning blank. Realizing she had apparently hit a sore spot, she tried a different angle. "What if you are injured? Even the best fighters don't win every engagement. "

"The Wraith don't know where we are," John agreed, having seen the same thing Teyla had.

"We have...places...we can go," Josiane told him. "We simply don't stay in one place for very long."

"And you have no wish to stop?" Teyla asked, worriedly. "To rest, to recuperate?"

"Rest is for those who have something to lose," Ariana said softly. Ronon shifted when John looked at him worriedly.

Teyla realized it first. "How old were you when your world was culled?" she asked, dreading the answer.

Josiane's expression turned frosty. "It wasn't culled. It was _destroyed_."

"It doesn't _matter_," Ariana burst out, the turn in conversation obviously upsetting her. She turned to Ronon. "Why did you think we'd agree, Ronon? You know who we are."

"They need help. You're the best," he repeated.

"Well, if you put it like _that_...," she said, feigning being flattered. "We're the Shadows, Ronon, not the Earther's enforcers."

The three women stood up and Ronon sighed, resigned.

"Wait, what?" John asked, looking at the former Runner. "Ronon..."

"They're done listening, Sheppard," he told him simply. John glared.

"We're not done talking!" he told them angrily. Josiane pulled a gun out and aimed it at him.

"I can make it so you're done talking," she told him simply. John and Rodney gaped at her while Teyla seemed distressed.

Ariana sighed and pulled out her gun as well. "Try not to destroy the fittings this time!" the bartender called, having seen the action. Most of the patrons looked away when Ronon glared at them. He stood up and got between Josiane and John.

"Stop that," he told her, pushing her gun away. She glared at him.

"No, Ronon. I don't know why you brought them here," she told him. "We do well enough on our own. They have _legends_ about us. Why do we need them?"

"You're right, this was a mistake," he said. He turned his back on them to speak very deliberately to John. "If you run long enough, it's easier to keep going than to stop. The girls want to keep going. Let's go."

"Hey!" Ariana yelped and then frowned in realization. "Oh. I see what you're doing." Ronon grinned at her and Ariana turned to Josiane and Sora. "He hasn't got any less sneaky, anyway," she told them.

Josiane sighed and finally put her gun away. "Or any less confusing," she complained. "What is he doing?"

"He's trying to imply that he's stronger than us, because he stopped Running and we won't. Appealing to our pride, and all that," she explained patiently. She turned to Ronon. "Which might work if we cared what your friends think of us."

Josiane frowned. "You stopped Running?" she asked, confused. "Since when?"

Ronon gestured at his comrades. "Since they took my tracker, killed the Wraith on my tail," he told her, frowning. "Three months or so."

"Ronon wouldn't risk anyone he calls friend if his tracker was still active," Ariana nodded. She fished out a device from one of her pockets. "Plus, my scanner didn't pick it up."

Rodney immediately perked up. "Scanner?" he asked, looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, just something I threw together," Ariana told him easily. "Comes in handy sometimes."

Josiane and Ronon both snorted at that and then stared at each other, slightly horrified expressions on their faces. John frowned but shrugged it away as another quirk the two shared. Ronon shook himself and turned to Ariana.

"Show him, or he won't shut up about it," he advised and then glanced at Rodney as the woman did what he suggested with a sigh. "Ariana's the brains of the outfit."

Josiane frowned at him. "I take offense to that," she informed the table.

"You're the looks of the outfit," Ariana placated her. Sora scowled.

"Hey!"

"You're the...," Ariana started but came up blank. She looked to Ronon who smirked.

"Apparently you're the common sense of the outfit," he told the former Genii. Sora smiled ruefully.

"Sadly, I can see that as being true," she acknowledged, sharing a grin with Ronon.

"Ariana, is he supposed to be taking it apart like that?" Josiane asked suddenly and John turned to Rodney as Ariana pulled out her gun.

"Hey!"

"Rodney, play nice," John warned him. Rodney looked flustered, a few wires poking out of the device as he looked around.

"I was just trying...," he started but was cut off when Ariana climbed over the table and yanked it out of his grasp.

"She's very protective of her stuff," Josiane told him. Rodney frowned, looking at the device.

"But how did you..."

"Ronon, tell your friend what happened to the last person who touched my machines!" Ariana demanded, glaring at the scientist.

"The Shadow fell on him," Ronon deadpanned.

"Rodney, don't touch, alright?" John told him. Rodney glared at him but before he could say anything, Ariana spoke up.

"He tore the wire," she announced and then looked expectantly at John.

"I did not!" Rodney argued, turning his glare on her. She showed him the wire and he deflated slightly. "...oh."

Sora, Josiane, and Ronon each backed up as much as they could without outright standing up. John looked at Ronon carefully. "Ronon, do we have a problem?" he asked as the bartender came over with some snacks.

He looked at the group and zeroed in on the look on Ariana's face. "What he'd do?" he asked, unknowingly increasing the worry John was feeling.

"He broke her machine," Josiane told the bartender solemnly. The man put down the food, tssking, and then made a quick getaway, muttering something about how much it was going to cost to fix his bar.

"Ronon?" John asked again as Ariana silently waved the scanner in her hands. The Atlantis CSO shook his head mulishly and Ariana motioned again, this time more firmly and closer to his face.

In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Teyla smiled at Josiane. "You saved my father at one point," she told her with a smile.

"We save a lot of people," Josiane said. Ariana, sufficiently distracted from her silent argument with Rodney, turned and studied the Athosian more closely.

"Emmagen, right?" she asked finally and Teyla nodded, looking surprised.

"Yes, I am Teyla Emmagen," she agreed.

Josiane frowned. "How did you...one of these days, I will figure out how you know everything," she informed Ariana and then turned to Teyla. "Your father was Torren?"

"You can try," Ariana told Josiane loftily.

Teyla and John both hid smiles. "Torren Emmagen, leader of our people, before his death," Teyla acknowledged.

Josiane stared at her thoughtfully. "And you're Teyla, and you left your people for these...because?"

"Because they have proven themselves worthy, and I believe in them," Teyla replied promptly.

"Even after everything they've done?" Ariana asked. John frowned and looked at the Satedan.

"Ronon, have you been telling tales?" he demanded, his voice low.

"Everyone knows you woke the Wraith, _Johnny_," Josiane informed him coolly. "Every market on every world talks about the Earthers."

John shifted guiltily. "Well...it was an accident," he told them honestly, a hang-dogged expression on his face.

"You seem prone to those," Ariana noted and placed the scanner on the table.

"But we always fix our accidents!" John said, trying desperately to keep this discussion from dissolving into anger and blame.

"And how would you propose to the survivors of Agria how you plan to fix the culling of their world and the deaths two hundred thousand who once lived there?" Josiane asked.

"Or Swala? Or Thern? Or any of the others I could name?" Ariana added. She turned to the large Satedan. "Your intent may be good, Ronon, but the Earthers cannot be our allies."

Rodney glared at them. "You've never made a mistake? No one's ever died on your little sabotage missions?" he demanded, fishing out a wire from one of his tac vest pockets and throwing it on the table. "At least we're trying to fix ours!"

"We may have made mistakes but they never cost the lives of millions of innocent people," Ariana informed him softly. John winced.

"Before you came, we were doing exceedingly well against the Wraith," Josiane informed them. "Hives were being destroyed left and right because they weren't awake to fight back."

"So join us, and help us fight back now," John said, his guilt over what they were saying making him somewhat desperate. "We're doing our best, but if Ronon says we need your help, we need your help. Help us."

Ariana looked at Josiane. "He looks really sincere," she said. Josiane's expression was blank as she looked at John, refusing to meet Ariana's eyes.

"So did Kala."

Ariana shook her head at Josiane, frowning in disappointment. "Don't you ever get tired of measuring everyone by Kala? You hated Ronon at first too, and he's never betrayed us," she reminded the green-eyed Shadow. "Nor has Sora."

"I trust them. I have no reason to. But I do," Sora spoke up. Josiane and Ariana looked at her. "They are good people, despite the mistakes they've made."

Teyla smiled at Sora who smiled back shyly. Rodney didn't sayanything but continued glaring at the women. As much as it pained him to admit it, even to himself, he could understand why they'd be hesitant to work with them—the Atlanteans really had made things really bad for a lot of the Pegasus natives. But he stood firm by his declaration that at least they were trying to fix their mistakes.

Ronon looked at John. "Sounds like two out of three to me," he told the colonel, who relaxed against his chair.

"This doesn't mean we'll go back with you," Josiane warned. John gave her a crooked smile.

"That's fine," he said easily. "We're just talking."

Ronon smiled at the women. "They have showers," he told them.

Ariana immediately perked up. "Showers?"

"So do many trade worlds," Josiane reminded them, amused.

"These are better," he informed them with a smirk. "It's the Ancestor's city."

"Ronon!" John warned sharply. Josiane snorted.

"Like we didn't know where you were living," she told him, almost teasingly. John gave her a funny look but let it pass. She changed moods more often than Rodney called himself a genius.

"Please," Ariana said. "Remember who you're talking to, Ronon."

"Word does get around, not to mention I lived there for several months," Sora nodded and Ronon scowled. Ariana laughed.

"He's so easy," she told the girls with a grin.

"Says the girl who had him convinced for several weeks we were—" the green-eyed shadow started but Ariana put her hand over Josiane's mouth, effectively cutting her off.

"I'm getting tired of talking," she said, giving the scowling Josiane a look. "And my scanner's fixed. Going or not going? Sora?"

"Give them the address to one of the havens," she suggested. "They need us, they call. We need them, I know the address to the city. But we have to get to Tenaya by nightfall, remember?"

Ariana nodded. "Josiana, going or not going?"

"Tenaya?" Josiane asked, ignoring Ariana's question. She made a face. "Do we _have_ to go see Ven?"

"He has intel, remember?" Ariana reminded her, distracted by Josiane's question.

Josiane stood up, all ready to go. "He makes me want to hit Ronon," she said. The former Runner gave her a look that told her just to try.

Realizing what Josiane was doing, Ariana yanked her back down. "Vote now. Hit Ronon later," she orderd. "Do we ally or not?

John looked at Ronon. "Their impulse control needs work," he told him conversationally.

"Well, I suppose no one will actually believe them if they say they're allied with us..."

"They haven't hit anyone yet," Ronon told John, smiling at Josiane's reluctant agreement.

"Believe it or not, from Josiane that's as good as it gets," Ariana told John. "Ronon can contact us if necessary, but we do have to go now."

She stood up and handed Rodney a pouch. "You can have this," she told him. Rodney frowned and pulled out a small cube that lit up randomly when it connected with his skin.

"You're so cruel," Josiane told the brown-eyed Shadow.

Ariana scowled. "He _broke_ my _machine_," she argued and Ronon smirked.

"He'll never figure it out," the dread-locked man told John. "No one does."

Ariana preened as Josiane and Sora smirked. "Ronon, keep your people here for a few minutes," Josiane said, standing. She picked up John's cup and poured it out, ignoring the indignant squawking from the watching bartender. "And don't drink the alcohol here."

Ariana hurried the three women away. "'_Johnny_'?" she asked Josiane.

"Does he look like a Johnny to you?" she asked back and Ariana shook her head, confused.

"No," she answered and Josiane smirked.

"Exactly," she said as they walked out of the bar. John could still hear their conversation through the various windows they passed.

"Wow. We actually got through that without violence. I'm impressed," Sora teased.

"We are capable of being non-violent, you know," Ariana pointed out.

"I DIDN'T GET TO HIT RONON!" Josiane shouted. John glanced over saw the Satedan rolling his eyes.

"Ow. Thanks, that ear's bust," they heard Ariana grumble. "Oh, get back here!"

John pinched the bridge of nose, imagining in his mind eye Sora and Ariana grabbing onto Josiane's arms to keep her from coming back into the bar to hit Ronon.

"Oh great," Rodney grumbled. "We just allied ourselves with three female versions of the Caveman!"

"Problem with that, McKay?" the man in question asked, eyebrow raised as he stared at the scientist coolly. Rodney swallowed.

"No..." he answered unconvincingly.

The girls passed the window next to their table then, laughing. They threw grins at the four before disappearing into the throng outside.


	3. A Team in Need

Chapter Three: A Team in Need

John groaned as he woke up in the dark. The last thing he remembered was talking with a group of locals and eating at a celebration. He was a little fuzzy on just what exactly they had been celebrating but obviously it wasn't something AG-1 should have been celebrating.

"Have we escaped yet?" Rodney asked, waking up.

"Does it look like we've escaped?" John grumbled from where he was struggling to his feet. Nearby, he could just make out the shapes of Ronon and Teyla.

"Does it look like I can see anything?" Rodney demanded and a hand hit John's arm. "Help me up."

"It is very dark," Teyla noted as John and Ronon hauled Rodney to his feet. "Where are we?"

"Captured," Ronon grunted. From the sound of his grunt, he was not happy about it.

"One of these days," John grumbled. "I'd like to meet with natives who don't throw us in the brig."

"Probably on the day we met natives you don't flirt with," Rodney bit out. "What kind of lock?"

John inspected the cage door. "Not an electrical one," he finally said.

"Oh, not my problem then," he said and sat down on one of the benches. "It's Ronon's job to deal with non-electrical ones."

"I don't have my gun," Ronon ground out.

"Seriously?" John asked. "They took your weapons?"

Ronon frowned at him. "I said I don't have my _gun_," he corrected him and pulled out a knife. Suddenly, he stopped. "Someone's coming."

The group went silent, looking at the cage door as some very familiar voices sounded.

"I've talked you through the detonator three times now," Ariana said, her voice tinged with exasperation.

"Every detonator you make is different! I can't keep up," Josiane complained.

"Is that who I think it is?" John asked suspiciously. Ronon motioned him to be quiet.

"All you have to do is push the button, Josiane," Sora said patiently.

"This button?"

"NOT YET!" Ariana shouted.

"Geez, bite a girl's head off..."

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me," Rodney moaned. The girls footsteps faltered.

"Did you hear that?" Sora asked. Ronon glared at the scientist.

"Please tell me that isn't who I think it is," Ariana groaned.

"Oh, look, Rodney, great minds thinks alike," John said, smirking. Rodney glared at him as the girls suddenly appeared from around a corner. The two groups stared at each other, Ariana and Rodney with identical irritated expressions.

"Josiane. Ariana. Sora," Ronon greeted the girls easily.

John looked at Teyla. "We don't have to do that whole thing again, do we? It's not some ritual thing?"

"No, John," she replied patiently.

"What are you guys doing here?" Ariana demanded.

"Getting thrown in jail," John replied simply. "What are you doing here?"

"Blowing stuff up," Josiane grinned. John frowned.

"Wraith worshippers. Don't ask," Ariana said at his expression. "You guys want out?"

"YES, what are you waiting for? Get us out!" Rodney demanded. Josiane frowned at him.

"On second thought...maybe we should leave em," she suggested to Ariana.

John looked at Ronon. "You want to weigh in?"

"They're not gonna leave us," Ronon said, unconcerned.

"Spoilsport," Josiane stuck her tongue out at the Satedan. Ignoring the byplay, Sora examined the locks and pulled out a pair of picks.

"You can pick locks?" John asked despite himself.

Sora gave him an unreadable look. "All former Genii can pick locks," she told him. John nodded, thinking he really shouldn't be surprised.

"Ari, you hear footsteps?" Josiane said suddenly, looking around.

"No," Ariana replied. At Josi's expression she sighed. "Go deal with it if you want."

The green-eyed shadow grinned at her. "Be back in a bit!" she called, already around the corner.

John looked at them, keeping an eye on Rodney who was watching Sora work. "Was that a good idea?" he asked just as the sounds of a fight filled the room. Ronon smirked.

"Yeah, it was a good idea," he agreed.

Sora gave a small sound of triumph and pulled open the door to their cell. "You lose anything? Weapons, radios?"

Ronon shifted somewhat guiltily. "My gun," he admitted grudgingly.

Ariana grinned. "Don't let Josi hear you say you lost your gun," she warned. "Remember her rule?"

"Don't die?" Ronon asked with a slightly hopeful look. John raised an eyebrow.

"That's rule number one" Ariana corrected. "Rule number two is don't lose your gun."

"I still have my knife," Ronon said, waving it in her face. Ariana pushed his wrist away as John rolled his eyes.

"Yes. Put it away, Ronon," he ordered and turned to Sora. "Weapons, radios, tac vests."

"We have time to find those, right?" Sora asked Ariana. The brunette looked down at her device, moving away so the reaching Rodney couldn't get it.

"If Josiane gets back here now, yeah," she agreed.

"And assuming she hasn't triggered your detonator yet," Ronon snorted.

"Oh trust me, if she'd had, we wouldn't have time to know," Ariana said. John shifted uneasily and then tensed when Josiane bounded up, bloody and grinning.

"That was fun," she chirped. Ariana wiped a smudge of blood off her face.

"So I see."

"I didn't kill em," she explained, looking for all the world like a little girl who'd just got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. "Just...made them sleep the sleep of the knocked unconscious."

Ariana rolled her eyes fondly. "We need to find the boys' toys before we blow anything up, I'm afraid," she told the other brunette. Josiane's face fell.

"Damn."

"Do you really need to blow it up?" John couldn't help asking. He could understand battling wraith worshipers, but blowing up an entire city seemed a bit…extreme.

"Yes," Josiane replied flatly.

"Why?" Rodney demanded, unease in his voice as well.

"I _told_ you. Wraith worshippers," Ariana scowled. "They've probably already signaled the nearest Hive."

"So unless you want to blow up a hive with us..." Josiane offered, bouncing on her feet again.

"You're going to share the explosives?" Sora asked Josiane skeptically. Josiane gave her a 'are you stupid' look.

"No, they can bring their own," she explained slowly. Sora scowled at her but nodded her understanding just the same.

"What explosives do you have?" Ronon asked, eyeing a gadget he'd taken from Ariana. Realizing what he had, Ariana scowled.

"Ariana's," Josiane replied, grinning. John wasn't sure if the grin was due to the type of explosives they had or Ronon getting smacked by Ariana for borrowing a gadget.

Ronon paused, staring at Josiane for a minute before turning to John abruptly. "We need to go now," he said, serious. He turned. "Sora, where'd you say the stuff was?"

"Guard room's that way," she replied promptly, pointing. Ronon grinned and disappeared.

"Five minutes, Ro!" Josiane called.

"I'll be back in three," he yelled back.

"I'll go with," Sora sighed. She looked at Ariana and motioned to Josiane. "Don't let her blow us up!"

Ariana nodded, moving her scanner away from Rodney's reaching hands. "Hurry back," she murmured, focused on her gadget.

"So....what made you come here?" John asked, relaxing slightly against the wall.

Ariana looked up, exaspered. "Wraith Worshippers, I've told you this three times now!"

"I believe he means here, specifically, at this time," Teyla clarified, shifting slightly.

Ariana was suddenly interested in her scanner, not looking at anyone else. Josiane was studying the wall, poking a piece of moss. "We heard there were prisoners here. Important prisoners. If we'd known it was you, we wouldn't have bothered," Ariana muttered.

"Actually, that's not true," Josiane said, turning from the wall. "We'd have come for Ro."

"Well, Ronon, yeah," Ariana acquiesced. She glared at Rodney, who hadn't given up trying to get the gadget from her. "Stop that. We can still leave you behind."

Rodney retreated behind John. "Make her let me see her scanner!" he ordered. John rolled his eyes.

"Rodney, play nice with the other children," John suggested lightly.

"If he promises not to harm it...," Teyla tried but Ariana shook her head before the Athosian could finish.

"No," she replied. She motioned to the hall. "Ronon's coming back."

Josiane cursed. "Damn. Three and a half."

"You were hoping for a new knife, weren't you?" Ariana said and Josiane sighed.

"That, and I have to give him another point now," she grumbled as Ronon and Sora appeared.

Ronon and Sora handed out the Lanteans weapons. "Seventeen," Ronon counted to John, his voice smug.

"Yeah, but I've never lost any," John reminded him.

"Yet," Josiane muttered under her breath. She looked around impatiently. "Can I blow this place up yet?"

"Can we leave first?" Rodney demanded, his tone saying he thought she had a few screws loose.

Josiane looked at him doubtfully. "Can you keep up?"

"Hey!"

John grabbed his vest strap and dragged him after Ariana, Sora, and Teyla. "Let's go, McKay," he ordered.

"I passed all the physical requirement tests! Why did she ask that?!" Rodney demanded as Josiane and Ronon covered the rear.

"This is the crack team you've aligned yourself with?" Josiane asked, skeptically.

Ronon growled at her. "You want to blow that up today? Let's get going."

"Okay, okay!"

It took about ten minutes before Ariana slowed down. By then, they'd run about a mile away from the installation and could just see the locals starting to hunt for them.

"Josi..." Ariana said and John was impressed and slightly annoyed she'd barely broken a sweat in that little run.

Josiane pulled out a detonator, grinning. "Boom time," she whispered and pressed the button. They watched as the entire installation imploded on itself and a flash of fire spread out about half a mile in every direction, encasing everything in flames.

"The Shadow Falls!" John crowed, unable to help himself.

There was a moment of silence before Rodney huffed at him. "You know that's not funny, right?"

"What about us?" Ariana demanded at the same time. John's eyes widened.

"Ronon, is he talking us down?" Josiane demanded, hands itching at her gun.

Sora looked at John, pity on her face. "You might want to explain yourself before you find out just how little of Ari's explosives is needed to blow up a person," she suggested.

"What? No! It's a...thing, from Earth, it's a game..." John stammered. He glanced at Teyla pleadingly. "Help..."

Teyla raised her hands and looked away, mouth twitching in amusement. Ariana frowned. "You're not making fun of us?"

"No!"

"Good cause we have to run now!" Josiane said suddenly. Everyone but Ronon looked confused.

"We do?" Sora asked blankly. Josiane pointed up.

"Yeah, we do," she agreed as three darts broke threw the clouds and deposited handfuls of wraith on the ground.

"Darts!" Ronon shouted and began running.

"Way to state the obvious!" Josiane yelled, running after him.

"I *told* you they'd called the Hive!" Ariana told John proudly.

"Yes, you were right, very good! Run!" he yelled back.

Josiane looked back at the approaching wraith. "It's too bad we used all of Ariana's 'splosives."

"YOU ARE INSANE!" Rodney screamed, keeping just ahead of Ronon and Josiane.

The Satedan shot over his shoulder as he glared at his companion. "Josi? You never use *all* the explosives."

"Josi_ane_?" Ariana demanded. The green-eyed Shadow ignored her, instead focusing her glare on Ronon.

"Don't call me JOSI!" she yelled as she shot a Wraith.

"Hand 'em over, Josiane," Sora demanded as they all took cover around the gate. Josiane fumbled with her jacket.

"I don't have em!" Josiane insisted and finally found what she was looking for. Pulling out a second detonator, she wasted no time in pushing the button. An explosion sounded overhead as a flash of light lit the sky.

"I gave 'em to the idiot going to the hive," she finished proudly.

"Nice...plan..." Rodney said, hands on his knees as he wheezed.

"You mean to tell me you just blew up a HIVE?!" John demanded, unable to stop his gaping.

"Sure," Ariana shrugged, nonchalant. "Haven't you ever blown up a Hive?"

Ronon threw up his hands and laughed as he walked around, making sure they were secure. A second explosion suddenly sounded. Everyone looked up and stared for a moment before turning to Josiane.

"Josi...how much did you send with the idiot?" Ariana asked worriedly.

Josiane shifted uncertainly. "Half a bag?"

"HALF A WHAT?!" Ariana, Sora, and Ronon shouted at the same time.

Ariana turned to John. "You should go home now. Right now. Fast," she suggested, her face urgent.

"Was that too much?" Josiane asked, sounding like a little girl.

"Oh, just a little," Ariana replied sarcastically.

"Think...Herna," Sora suggested, giving her a look. John didn't know the significance of the planet but from Josiane blinking, she sure did.

"Oh. OH!" she realized, her eyes widening. She gave the other two Shadows a sheepish look. "Oops?"

Rodney began dialing Atlantis and John turned the three women. "You guys coming with?" he asked, trying to act cool and nonchalant but he knew he ruined it when by the bouncing.

"No. Why would you ask..." she trailed off and rolled her eyes. "You still on that teaming up thing?"

"It takes them a while to think of an idea, so they don't like to let them go," Ronon told them with a smirk. John frowned at him as Rodney put through their codes.

"Thank you for your help," Teyla said, smiling at the three women.

"I'd have gotten us..." Rodney's comment was cut short as John shoved him through the Gate.

"Remember rule number one, Ro!" Josiane called as Ronon approached the event horizon.

"And Rule number two," Sora muttered.

Ronon glared at the redhead and then waved at them. "See you 'round the galaxy, girls."

"RONON! YOU LOST YOUR GUN?!" Josiane yelled as he walked through the gate, laughing.

Teyla smiled at them. "Until next time," she said. Sora waved at her.

"Bye, Teyla."

The gate deactivated and the girls looked at each other.

"They really do need help, don't they?" Ariana observed.

"They'll learn!" Josiane reassured her. "We did!"

"They make bigger mistakes than we did," Ariana pointed out. "Bigger consequences."

"And you had someone to teach you," Sora reminded them.

Ariana shifted. "She's right," the tech Shadow admitted. "Ronon's still a Runner. We owe him."

Josiane snorted. "Him, maybe, but those guys?" she asked. "Besides, we'd be stuck there under their thumb only able to leave when they said we could."

"You think *they* could stop us?" Ariana asked, amused.

"Who says we have to go there?" Sora added. Josiane made a face.

"That's what they want," she said. "They know we do good work so they want us as theirs. We wouldn't be free. We'd be their _pets_."

"Maybe," Ariana acquiesced. She grinned suddenly. "Ronon does seem a lot tamer, doesn't he?"

Josiane snickered. "He's turning into a softie," she said. "I mean, seriously, did you see the weight he's gained?"

Ariana groaned. "You did NOT cop a feel!"

Josiane looked at her innocently. "Why not?"

Sora rolled her eyes and turned to the DHD. "What if he decides to return the favor?" she asked curiously.

Josiane snorted. "He's welcome to _try_."

Ariana sighed affectionately. "Let's go home for now, anyway," she said and then paused. "Unless you want to fight off some of those grounded Wraith?"

Josiane and Sora looked at each other and then at the slowly regrouping Wraith.

**~~*^*~~**

"Colonel!" Elizabeth called, coming down to the gate platform. "You missed your check in."

"Got thrown into jail," John shrugged as Caldwell joined them. "Ronon lost his gun."

"Got it back, though," Ronon grinned and twirled it to demonstrate.

"Oh and we met the Shadows again," John mentioned as if was an afterthought.

"You did?" Elizabeth asked, surprised. "Did they get captured too?"

Ronon snorted. "They don't get captured."

"They broke us out, actually," John admitted.

"And they destroyed both a wraith worshipping town and a hive in orbit," Teyla added, somewhat proudly. John nodded as Elizabeth and Caldwell both gaped.

"With half a bag of explosive," he agreed. "Although, to be fair, we didn't see the bag. It might have been really big."

"Josi was carrying it in the jail," Ronon told him. John blinked, absently grinning at the fact everyone was starting to use the nicknames he'd given the women.

"Oh. Not so big, then."

"Ari's explosives are very...powerful," the Satedan admitted at everyone's surprised looks.

That seemed to rouse Rodney. "She wouldn't let me see her scanner!" he said, his tone telling everyone listening he thought that sacriligous.

"Well, to be fair, you did nearly break the last one," John reminded him. Rodney glared at him.

"Your...allies...blew up a Hive, and a town, with explosives in a bag so small you didn't notice it?" Caldwell asked for clarification.

Rodney snorted. "He wasn't looking at her luggage."

"Rodney!"

"What?" he asked. "You were looking at the detonator. I saw you."

John had the good grace to look sheepish; he'd thought Rodney was saying something completely different. "I'm surprised you could drag yourself away from Ari's scanner!" he retorted in an attempt to avoid any unnecessary bloodshed.

"Do you realize how odd it is to see someone like them with technology like that?!" Rodney demanded.

"There was a reason Ariana's planet was destroyed and not just culled," Ronon cut in. Teyla nodded.

"Indeed, I remember the tales," she murmured.

"What tales?" Elizabeth asked, intrigued.

"Are they going to help us or not?" Caldwell demanded.

"It is said that each of the Shadows came from highly advanced planets that became a threat to the Wraith," Teyla explained, ignoring Caldwell's impatience. "Several Hives banded together to take out the planets they had been born on."

"They'll help when they can. And only if they want to," Ronon shrugged.

"There must be some way to get them to join us," Caldwell insisted. Ronon narrowed his eyes at the Daedalus captain.

"They don't want anything you can offer," he warned and then turned and walked away. Teyla smiled apologetically at them and followed her friend with Rodney and John, still quietly bickering, hot on their heels.

"Dr. Weir, you realize how dangerous these Shadows could be?" Caldwell demanded, watching the four teammates disappear into the city. "If they can take out a hive and a town with that small amount of explosives, they could decide to attack us. And from what I heard, they're not happy Sheppard woke the Wraith.

"Ronon trusts them," Elizabeth reminded him. Caldwell made a face, telling Elizabeth just how much that counted to him. Elizabeth sighed. "And John and AG1 have met them twice now and trust them. They have good instincts."

Caldwell huffed and wandered off as Elizabeth turned back to the gate.


	4. Vacation?

Chapter Four: Vacation…?

"You got everything? Toothbrush? Comb you don't need? Dialing device?"

John glared at Ronon when the man snickered slightly at the comb part of Lorne's comment. "Yes, _Mom_," the colonel rolled his eyes. They were waiting for the dial-up sequence to take them to one of the Shadows havens. Ronon had spoken to Elizabeth and had arranged to visit his friends. John was going as "security," which was code for exploring his own curiosity. He looked at Lorne. "You just make sure we have a city to come home to."

"Yes sir," Lorne promised, looking around the gate room and then turning to the two men. "You sure you don't want a bunch of marines to go with?"

"Not if you want 'em back in one piece," Ronon smirked. "The Shadows don't like uninvited guests."

John stared at him. "Aren't _we_ univited?"

"You are."

John paused and then turned to Lorne. "It was nice knowing you all," he told him sarcastically.

"Can I have your office, sir?" Lorne asked, straight faced.

"I have an office?" John asked and Lorne grinned.

"I'll take that as a yes."

Elizabeth wandered over as Chuck watched from the control balcony. "Be careful," she warned as the gate lit up.

"Oh, we will," John said, bouncing.

"Josiane likes to trap their safe houses," Ronon mentioned off-handedly as the gate activated.

"And it gets better..." he muttered and walked through the gate. Ronon smirked and followed.

**

They found themselves in a clearing of woods, the terrain rocky and making it obvious they were most likely on a mountain of some kind. He could just hear a river and several birds chirping.

"Who actually designs the safehouses?" John asked, shifting his P-90. At Ronon's look, he sighed. "It's not Josi, is it?"

"You really want me to answer that?" Ronon asked. John shook his head, and he grinned, adding, "This way. And try not to look threatening. They're watching us already. Well, you'll be fine."

John scowled, following him. Ronon kept pausing, circling things John couldn't see...well, either that or he was just messing with him. John wouldn't put it past him.

After they'd walked for a few minutes an arrow landed a few feet in front of John. "That's our cue to stop," Ronon said, looking entirely unsurprised.

"Oh, I'm stopped. Not sure I could go anywhere."

Josiane appeared out of nowhere, bow in one hand. "Ro. Johnny." Glancing at John, she added, "Did we invite him?"

Ronon shrugged. "He was bored. And McKay is experimenting."

Josiane grinned. "Ari has a new toy for him."

"No," John said firmly. "He hasn't given up on the last one yet."

"You get to tell Ariana that," Josiane said, unconcerned. "This way. Step lightly."

John followed, careful to step in her footprints. A moment later a Dart screamed by overhead, unseen, and he flinched, ducking. "What the--?!"

"Relax," Josiane said, amused. "It's not real."

"You have fake Darts?" John said in disbelief.

"Level seven of Ariana's security."

"How many levels are there?"

"Twenty two, last time I counted," Ronon told him. John blinked, and he added, "She likes to be very safe."

"Twenty two levels, and we've just passed seven?"

"No, we've passed ten now," Josiane said absently.

"They're the Shadows," Ronon said again, grinning at John's look.

"Yeah, I'm getting that." Raising his voice as he saw Sora, he added, "No wonder the Genii hate you guys."

"Everyone hates us. Apparently." Sora didn't seem particularly upset by the idea.

"If no one hates you, you're doing it wrong," Josiane said nonchalantly.

John was about to answer when the ground fell away from under him. For a moment he teetered on the edge of the pit...and were those spikes down there?...before Sora and Ronon grabbed him from each side, pulling him back to solid ground.

Josiane glanced over her shoulder. "Level eighteen."

"Thanks for the warning!"

"You didn't see that? Really?" Ronon asked.

"She distracted me!" John protested, gesturing at Josiane.

"Children, come on," Sora said patiently. "Duck."

John mouthed 'duck', unsure what she meant; Ronon, Josiane and Sora all ducked and he hastily followed suit, hearing a blade whizz by just above his head. Catching his breath, he turned to see the blade embedded in a nearby tree.

"It's a little low tech for you, isn't it?" he said mildly.

"No one ever expects low tech," Ariana said from somewhere deeper in the cave system.

"Yeah, well, no one expects the inquisition either but did that ever stop people?" When everyone stared he sighed, reminding himself yet again that he had to stop making cultural references while surrounded by Pegasus natives. "Nevermind."

"Did we invite him?" Ariana asked Josiane. The girl shrugged, stacking her bow and quiver neatly in a corner.

"I'm feeling very welcome here, thanks," John said pointedly.

"We usually castrate any male trespassers we find," Josiane told him.

John instinctively covered up: his voice was high when he suggested "Maybe we could skip that this time?"

Ronon snickered, not bothering to hide it. Sora, at least, had the manners to turn away, but the others were laughing at him.

"Very funny," he muttered, looking around desperately for something to change the subject. "Nice setup. You got many of these places?"

"Enough to keep us safe," Ariana said pointedly.

"Are you going to get defensive every time I ask a simple question?" John demanded.

"Yes," Josiane told him. At the same time, Ariana said "Probably," and Sora added, "Depends on the question."

"They're the Shadows," Ronon said when John appealed to him.

"You keep saying that," John said, frustrated. He understood the girls were skittish, but so far all the effort seemed to be on the Lantean's side; the only thing the girls had done for them was rescue them from prison, and even that had been accidental. "It doesn't excuse everything."

"No, I guess it doesn't," Ariana said thoughtfully. She unsheathed a sword, admiring it as she spoke. "This probably excuses a lot, though." Josiane plucked her bowstring, apparently at random, as she listened.

Ronon relented, turning to the girls. "He has a point, though. These are good people."

"It's not as much fun," Josiane pouted.

"You can spar with Ronon," Ariana offered, ignoring the glare from the man in question.

Josiane grinned, bouncing. "Ok! We'll back off Johnny."

"Thanks for offering me up," Ronon said pointedly.

Ariana patted him absently on the shoulder. "You'll enjoy it." Before he could retaliate, she added to John, "We have...more than five, and less than fifteen safehouses. Better?"

"You added since the last time I saw you," Ronon noted, moving deeper into the cave. John followed him, quietly impressed; the set up was excellent.

"We move around a lot. We've destroyed three since I joined," Sora said.

John and Josiane both snickered and then froze, looking horrified at each other.

"The world's coming to an end," Ariana said, deadpan. "You two agreed on something."

Sora laughed, turning to John before Josiane could protest. "We're about to eat. Join us?"

"No one's going to...try and kill me, or anything, right?"

"No one's going to try and kill you," she promised. "We'll even tell you what you're eating."

"That's a good offer," Ronon told him. "They never tell anyone, it's a test."

"Any particular reason you're not gonna try to poison me?"

Ariana scowled, dropping some plates a little harder than necessary. "Sora spoke for you."

Sora ducked her head, trying to avoid his incredulous look.

"Yeah, if the girl you held prisoner thinks you're not so bad...although it could be that thing, the mental thing." Josiane tried to snatch some of the food Ariana was preparing, getting a smack for her trouble.

"Stockholm?" John suggested, getting blank looks again. "Nevermind."

"We trust Sora and Ronon," Ariana told him.

"Just not me," he muttered.

Josiane wandered off, ignoring his comment. Ari turned back to her food; Sora stared at the table, trying not to meet his eyes.

"They don't know you yet, Sheppard," Ronon reminded him.

"We broke out of jail together!"

"I believe _we_ broke _you_ out of Jail?" Ariana said pointedly.

"...Good point," John admitted.

"Willingness to admit when he's wrong," Josiane said from wherever she'd vanished to. "What's that bring him up to?"

"Five, I think."

"No, six," Ariana corrected her. "We gave him a point for not asking for any explosives, remember?"

"Six," John told Ronon. "_And_ I've never lost any."

"Yet."

Sora laughed. "Come and eat lunch. Josi will be beating Ronon up when we're done, you don't want to miss that."

John glanced from Ronon to Josiane, who wasn't even listening. "It was nice knowing you!" he called, following Sora to the table.

"Huh?"

"Ronon's not going to beat her," Ariana told him.

"He doesn't like hitting women," Sora agreed. "He can't help it. "

"No, I'm betting on Ronon," John said firmly.

"Loyalty to a friend in the face of overwhelming odds," Ariana said thoughtfully. "That's at least two."

"Eight points?" Josiane protested, snatching something off John's plate.

"But he doesn't realize it's overwhelming odds," Sora pointed out.

"He's seen Josi fight, right?...actually, no he hasn't."

"He's seen her blow up stuff."

Ariana nodded sharply. "Ok, forget the two points."

"Damn," John muttered. Josiane grinned triumphantly, dropping the scrap of food back on his plate.

"You lost two points at once, Sheppard. I've never lost two at once."

"Did they even give them to me?" John countered, sneaking a piece of fruit from Josiane's plate; he was operating on the hope that they wouldn't poison themselves just to get to him.

"He, unfortunately, has a point, Ro," Josiane agreed, taking some meat from his plate and eating it with her fingers.

"You only lost one point for knocking Josi in the river?" John asked suddenly.

"Points for intent," Ariana explained. "He was trying to save her."

"I had it handled just fine!" Josiane protested.

"And when he shot her?" John asked.

"Well, she shot him back," Sora told him. "They both lost points, so it cancelled itself out."

"Wait, so you guys do the points too?" He was now hopelessly lost. Grimly, he wondered if they were changing the rules as they went just to upset him...he wouldn't put it past them, to be honest.

"It's...complicated," Ariana said after a quick, silent consultation with the others. "I can show you the equation if you like."

Ronon gestured 'no' and John shook his head. "I think I'll pass. But maybe you can write it down to McKay?"

"I thought you said she wasn't allowed to give him any more toys," Josiane pointed out.

"Well, he hasn't figure out the first even though it was really easy. I'll keep this one for when he finally gets so frustrated he breaks the damn thing."

Ariane blinked. "You...figured it out?"

"Sure. It's a math puzzle, right? Depending on which finger touches which side? I figured it out watching him turn the damn thing over."

"I think that Czech guy got it too," Ronon offered. "He keeps smirking whenever McKay brings it out to look at again."

"Nah, that's just because the toy is keeping Rodney from yelling at all the scientists when he's focused on it."

"Here." She handed him a piece of paper, scriblled over with figures and letters.

John squinted at it, puzzling out the equation. "He's going to hate you. Does this actually say time and space are at right angles?"

"What else would it say?"

Josiane sighed. "I'm bored," she complained and then grabbed Ronon's arm. "Ro, let's go fight."

"_Spar_, Josiane, we call it sparring," Sora corrected, exasperated. "Let's at least pretend this is friendly."

"Why pretend?" Josiane asked, honestly curious.

Sora had to think about that for a minute or so. "...because we have company?"

Josiane snorted and dragged Ronon out of the cave.

Ariana laughed, taking John's plate. "You don't want to miss this. Sora, are they starting with weapons or bare hands this time?"

Sora winced. "Bare hands. And Josi just kicked him downward."

"Dirty fight then," Ariana noted, unconcerned.

"She's not really going to hurt him, right?" John asked. "I'd like to bring him back in the same condition he was when we left."

"Depends on your definition of hurt. His pride might take a knock." She stepped around something he couldn't see; John grimaced, following her carefully. "Sora's right; Ronon hates fighting girls. He can't help it. Josi takes advantage every chance she can. She may..._accidentally_ rip her top."

"She's already done that," Sora told them.

John winced, trying not to look at the fight. Josiane was touchy enough under normal circumstances; he didn't want to risk her deciding he was taking advantage. "He fights Teyla."

"He never goes out completely with her though." Sora didn't seem to be having the same problem, watching the fight closely.

"You've never even seen them fight," he protested.

"Trust me, you've never seen Ronon fight." Ariana pointed and he turned without thinking to look.

And he had to admit that no, he'd never seen Ronon fight. Although, to be fair, he hadn't seen him fight _now_ either; they were moving too fast. "Did she just..."

Sora clapped her hands over his eyes, startling him, and Ariana said mock disappointedly, "She'll use ANYTHING to distract him."

"Argh!" Ronon yelled from somewhere. John shook his head until Sora let go.

"Ok, _that's_ cheating, Josiane," Ariana said warningly. Josiane stepped back from Ronon, pouting. No one took any notice, and she pouted even harder.

"Ronon?" John called. Ronon growled; John recognized it as the 'you will never, ever defeat me, no matter what' growl, and mentally sighed.

"Want to forfeit, Ro?" Josiane asked sweetly.

"I'll forfeit when his hair gets combed!" Ronon snarled, jerking his head towards Sheppard.

"_Hey_!" John protested, immediately losing any sympathy he'd had.

"You'd better just beat him and get it over with, Josi," Sora said.

"You really think Josi is gonna beat him?" John asked.

"At the worst, she won't lose to him," Ariana said, folding her arms. "This isn't the first time they've fought, Johnny, Josi knows his moves."

"_John_," he said almost pleadingly.

"And she's picked up some new ones since the last time they fought," she continued as though he hadn't spoken.

"So has Ronon."

"She won't lose," Sora said.

"You sure about that?" John asked, motioning to the fight where Ronon had Josiane pinned. He had to admit the girls had been right; Ronon was clearly not using his full strength to hold her down.

"Yup," Ariana said easily.

Josiane's hand snaked to Ronon's side and she flipped so Ronon was trapped on his stomach, his arm twisted back so if he tried to get out, it'd break. "Yield?" she asked, slightly breathless. Ronon struggled, growling, and she repeated, "Yield?"

"Oh just yield already!" Sora called. Josiane put a little more pressure on Ronon's arm; he snarled, free hand clawing at the ground.

"He yields," John said quickly. "Can you not break his arm? He needs it to hit things."

Josiane let him go and stepped back so he could pop to his feet. "You have new moves."

"So do you," Ronon grunted, gingerly testing his arm.

Josiane bounced in place. "Wanna trade?" she asked hopefully.

"Think you can keep up?" Ronon shot back with a smirk. Josiane stuck her tongue out at him.

"Do they ever stop trying to outdo each other?" John asked as Ronon showed Josiane a tackling move the marines had taught him.

"I'd be worried if they did," Ariana shrugged. "It'd probably mean one of them was dead."

"Or really really injured," Sora added.

"Maybe bleeding out?" Ariana suggested and then brightened. "Ooh, if they got stabbed in the voice-box!"

John frowned and stepped away cautiously. Sora smiled, amused. "I wouldn't worry too much, Colonel. They usually try to keep civilian injuries to a minimum.

"_Civilian_?!"

She shrugged. "You might be military on your world, but to them...you're the civilian."

John glanced at the others; Ariana had gone to talk to the others, but he drew Sora away a few steps anyway. "They were kids when their worlds were destroyed. They weren't military."

"They've decided they are. You want to argue with them about it?"

John glanced over again; Josiane was slapping Ronon up the head. "Ah...no. Maybe not."

Sora watched them for a moment. "How'd you know they were kids?"

"I...heard?" John said warily. "Around the galaxy? They have legends about you guys, you know."

"Uh huh. Ronon told you, didn't he?"

"Teyla, actually," John said sheepishly.

"I wouldn't tell them you know that. The Shadows don't have histories. Just legends."

"How'd you end up with them?" he asked.

"Cowen can't be trusted."

"I wouldn't, Johnny," Ariana said as she passed by.

"JOHN!"

"Picky, isn't he?" she said to Sora.

"Ro doesn't complain when we call him Ro!" Josiane called.

"He just hits you harder," Ariana agreed.

"But he doesn't complain," she insisted.

"It's a fine line, but he manages to walk it," Sora agreed. John glanced around, only realizing then that the former Genii had edged away a little to prevent any other private conversations.

"Hold this," Ariana told John, piling the innards of a machine into his arms. "And don't breathe too sharply." John blinked nervously; she glanced up, smiling. "It'll just take a minute."

"Or two..." Sora said.

"Or five..." Josiane agreed.

"What are you doing?" John asked through his teeth, afraid of moving even that much.

"Looking for a bad wire," Ari said absently. "This thing's been sparking for days."

John grimaced, really worried now; he knew enough about Ariana's tech genius to know that her machines didn't just break down for no reason.

"There!" she said with a grin. The machine sparked and abruptly died.

"Was that supposed to happen?" John asked warily.

"No. Did you breathe?"

John stared at her, trying to come up with an answer that wouldn't make her mock him even more.

"Stop teasing him," Ronon told her, coming back to join him.

"But it's so much fun!" Ariana protested, deliberately widening her eyes.

"And so easy," Sora added from where she'd been dressing the one shallow wound Ronon had managed to inflict on Josiane.

"Sorry, Johnny." Ariana appeared sincerely contrite as she took the machine away from him again.

"It's...never mind, I give up." John resigned himself to being 'Johnny' for the foreseeable future, or until the girls got bored with it; at least they were picking up 'Josi' and 'Ari' as well, though it didn't seem to bother Ari much.

"Good idea," Josiane agreed, flexing her arm to test the bandage.

The machine in Ari's hands sparked back to life. "There we go!" she said happily. The sound of Darts echoed around the area, and she nodded briskly. "There. Wards are up and running again...so don't go anywhere without us, John."

"What about Ronon?"

"Ronon can see the wards," Sora told him.

"Not asking, not asking..." John steadfastly ignored the giggles.

"Or at least he knows where they are," Josi added, kicking him from behind. Ronon growled and leapt at her; Josi laughed, dodging him and making a run for it. Ronon was on her heels, grinning.

"Don't kill anything we may need!" Ari yelled after them.

"Which is apparently everything!" Sora added.

"Should we be worried about that?" John asked.

Sora shook her head. "No, they'll run off some energy and come back a bit easier to deal with."

"Is she really your leader?"

"Ha!" Ariana composed herself. "She thinks so."

"In the field, she is," Sora told him. "Here, not so much."

"Huh," John murmured.

"What?"

"She's a bit...easily distracted."

Ari glanced at Sora, communicating silently. "Says the...what's a Captain Kirk, by the way?"

"Where did you hear that phrase?" John asked in surprise.

"Teyla said McKay uses it. What is a Captain Kirk?" Sora asked innocently.

"He's a very handsome, successful leader," John told them stiffly.

"Huh," Ari said thoughtfully. "We must have got the context wrong, then...it sounded like McKay used it about you."

"HEY!"

"If McKay uses it, there has to be something bad about it," Sora said, not unreasonably.

John shifted, saying reluctantly, "He may have been...amorous...with the women he met."

The girls exchanged looks, bursting into laughter.

"Aw, come on!" he protested.

Sora stifled her laughter. "Sorry, John, but we've heard about some of AG1's missions. Othara? Really?"

"How'd you hear about that?"

"The Shadows know things," Ari told him.

At the same time, Sora said, "Ari knows everything."

"People in this galaxy talk, you know, and they talk a lot to innocent looking girls."

"Oh? Do you have any of those?" John asked innocently.

Ari stared, apparently taken totally off guard, as Sora started laughing helplessly. Ronon and Josi reappeared, elbowing and jostling each other.

"What?" Josi asked, glancing at Sora.

"I think we're rubbing off on him," Ari told her.

Sora swallowed her laughter long enough to say "I wouldn't ask, Josi."

"Who won?" John asked Ronon over-loudly, trying to ignore the girls.

"I did," Ronon and Josi said simultaneously.

Ari glanced at her computer. "Ronon tripped three traps, Josiane only tripped one."

"But neither of us actually got hit or fell in or whatever," Josi added, "and I got back here first, so..."

"You tried to push me into the pit!" Ronon protested.

"I slipped," she said innocently.

"You don't slip."

"Huh. No, I guess I don't. Weird, huh?"

John shook his head, determined not to be sucked in. "Ignore her," Sora advised him in a stage whisper. "We do."

"Hey!" Josi protested.

"I gotta go reset the alarms," Ari said absently.

"Need a hand?" Sora asked her, already gathering up a couple of the machines.

"Yeah. You two behave."

"We'll start dinner," Ronon offered. John blinked; he couldn't burn water, and while Ronon must have done enough to keep himself alive while Running he hadn't touched a pan since.

"We will?" Josi protested.

"We will," John said with a sigh.

"Apparently, we will," Josi said, watching Sora. The silent communications were starting to bother John; the girls either acted like no one else was around or like everyone was spying on them all the time.

"I think I put the new trial explosives in the sugar jar," Ari said absently, stuffing bits of wire into her pocket. "Be careful!"

She was gone before they could follow her; Sora spread her hands innocently, following her.

"She do that a lot?" John asked Josi.

"Now you see why I'm leader?"

"How did...you weren't even here!"

Josi glanced at Ronon, laughing. "They know everything, Sheppard," the former Runner advised him. John mimed zipping his mouth shut, turning deliberately to the food.

**

Dinner was surprisingly good, although Ari had insisted on keeping her word and telling John exactly what he was eating. "...and this is the lingra herb. Told you we'd tell you what you were eating."

"In great detail, too," John agreed.

"I don't think he needed to know about the eggs, though," Sora said.

"I don't like hearing about the eggs," Josi muttered.

"We did promise," Ari said primly.

"I didn't think you were serious!" John protested.

"What could give you that idea, Sheppard?" Ronon asked. Josi elbowed him, stealing a hunk of meat from his plate. Ronon took a handful of something from hers in revenge; John was fairly sure it was vegetables, rather than the meat he'd presumably been aiming for, but it didn't seem worth pointing out..

Ari leaned past him to pick up a glass and he caught her eye. "They do that a lot?"

"Mmm. When we could get him to eat with us, they did. He was Running then."

"I know it's none of my business, but Ronon said you helped Runners. Wouldn't that be...dangerous?"

Ari and Josi glanced at each other, but it was Sora who answered, perfectly matter-of-fact. "We blow up Wraith for fun, Colonel. Runners aren't that dangerous by comparison."

"There was that one on Selana," Josi said thoughtfully. "He made Ro look cuddly, remember?"

"He tried to cut your throat, right?" Sora said doubtfully.

"That's the one."

Ronon growled, tensing in his seat. Ari smiled faintly, shaking her head at him. "Don't worry, he didn't get to touch her."

"But _I_ got to touch _him_."

John choked; Sora thumped him on the back, looking utterly bored, and Ronon snickered.

"Okay, that came out wrong," Josi admitted.

"For once," Ari agreed, offering the serving plate around. Ronon took another helping of meat; John waved her off. "He won't be cutting anyone's throats, and the Wraith won't find him, either."

John stared at her, trying not to understand what she meant. Blowing up Hives was one thing, but had she really said...

"Occasionally, Runners get too far gone," Sora said quietly. "It was an act of mercy."

John glanced at Ronon, who nodded. "I've seen a couple like that. They're dangerous, they don't remember to keep away from people."

"Or they can't differentiate between Wraith and humans," Josi added.

"Yeah, that was messy," Ari murmured.

"Not our best mission ever."

"You did what you had to," Sora told them.

"Hmm." Ari pushed to her feet, taking the serving plate and starting to crash around with the cooking equipment.

"Ari doesn't like the fighting much, unless it's Wraith," Ronon told John.

"Then she really enjoys it," Josi agreed.

"Good wraith are dead wraith, got it."

There was silence for a long, awkward moment until John looked around, clapping his hands. "So! This what you girls do all day?"

"Beat up on Ro?" Josi said innocently. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Make weapons," Ronon offered. "I brought some blades."

Josi squealed excitedly, bouncing out of her seat; Ari, coming back to the table, clapped a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back into her seat. "Not while we're eating, Josiane! You can wait a few minutes."

"Awww," Josi pouted, slumping and crossing her arms.

Sora snorted, pushing back from the table. "I'm done. Colonel, would you like to look at our armoury?"

"Don't let him touch anything!" Josi said, apparently on reflex.

"I know what I'm doing!" John snapped.

"Do you know what a Kerovian stunner does?" she asked.

"....no."

"Don't let him touch anything!"

"You need a hand?" Ronon asked Ari as Sora led John deeper into the caves.

"No, give Josi the blades or she'll hurt someone." Ronon nodded, heading for his pack.

"Yes! Gimme gimme gimme gimme gimme." Ronon handed over the packet of blades and she frowned, weighing them and turning them over. "These are...not from around here, are they?"

"The Lanteans make good blades."

"These are Earth weapons?" Ari asked, leaning over Josi's shoulder to pick one up.

"Careful!" Josi warned her.

"I can handle a blade, Josi." She straightened up, fumbling the blade and almost skewering her foot. Ronon leant down to pick it up, trying not to laugh at her.

"Balance is off," Ari muttered sulkily.

"Of course the balance is off, it doesn't have a handle yet you goober!" Josi laughed.

"I took the handles off. Wouldn't fit us," Ronon explained.

"I'll put new handles on them easily enough." Josi picked up one, examining the feel of it.

"That's why I brought em. Just no flower etching this time."

"Aw, was the big bad Runner ashamed to use a blade with flowers on it?" she teased without looking up.

"No, it throws off the drag when I throw 'em. Plus one of them got caught in my hair."

Ari bit her lip almost hard enough to bleed in her efforts not to laugh. Josi had no such qualms, snickering gleefully. "Alright, no flowers. Symbol then?"

Ronon touched his neck without thinking. "Yeah, that works."

Josi echoed the touch; Ari looked down, carefully not watching. "Got it. They'll be done before you leave."

"Done already?" Ari said suddenly, too loudly. "That was the quickest tour of the armoury ever."

"He couldn't touch half of em so...yeah, short tour." Sora dropped beside Ronon, looking admiringly at the blades.

"Lorne would LOVE that staff thing though," John said semi wistfully.

"Who?" Sora asked with a frown. John blinked; he'd been sure Sora had met Lorne at least once.

"Sheppard's second," Ronon told her.

"I thought that was McKay?" Josi asked absently.

"McKay's his brains. Lorne's his fighter."

"Hey!" John protested.

"I thought you were his fighter?" Ari said at the same time.

"No, Teyla and I are his common sense." Ronon aimed the words at Sora, who grinned.

Josi snorted, still not looking up. "Teyla, maybe."

"I thought Teyla was his diplomacy," Ari said blankly.

"Can we stop dissecting me, please?" John asked. To Sora, he added, "Lorne's my second in the City. Ronon's my second on missions."

"He can take the staff," Ari told Sora. "I can make a new one, that one's a little long anyway."

"Speaking of staff... Nicole?"

John winced. "She went missing off planet. Lost her memory. Ronon found her."

"She...you...she's ok?"

"Who's Nicole?" Ari asked Josi.

"Ssssh!" Josi hissed, listening.

"Got her memory back when she saw Beckett," Ronon told Sora.

"Her brother shipped out with the last batch of soldiers, so, you know..." John added.

"Oh, that makes...how many brothers, now?"

"Actually, this is her real brother."

"Oliver? That's brilliant. She missed him."

John grinned. "The look on his face when he saw her." Ronon snickered.

"Alright, you need to stop talking about people we don't know," Josi protested.

"I know them," Sora told her. "Or...of them."

"Yes, but we can't tease Johnny if we don't know who you're talking about."

"Head of Linguistics in the City," Sora told her. "Tiny little woman, runs everyone around like a drill sergeant. No one stands up to her. She took me under her wing."

John rolled his eyes. "More like mothers everyone and no one wants to see her pout."

"She does pout very well," Sora agreed.

"That where you learned?" Josi asked, grinning. Sora threw a piece of fruit at her.

"Nicole's the little sister to the military," Ronon said. "Got stuck with Sheppard, alone, for six months. And she can sneak." John grimaced, remembering some of the things she'd 'accidentally' let slip.

"Six months?" Ari repeated. "How'd you manage that? AG1 hasn't been out of the galaxy for that long."

"Time dilation...thingy." John gestured vaguely.

"Really?"

"Oh no," Josi groaned. "You didn't just say..."

Ari interrupted her with a stream of questions. John understood about one word in four, enough to know that they were very complicated, technical questions he hadn't a chance of answering; it didn't matter, though, because she wasn't waiting for him.

"He did," Sora said sadly. "He did say."

Ronon laughed as John tried to get Ari to stop, or least slow down. Josi and Sora were more direct; Josi clapped a hand over her mouth and Sora helped yank her away.

"Talk among yourselves," Josi said brightly over her shoulder. "We won't be long."

"I think I get it," John said quietly, watching Ari try to break free. She wasn't really trying, and the girls weren't putting much effort into holding her; it was all part of the game.

"Get what?" Ronon asked, sharpening his blade. Josi had fitted the handle to it, but the etching wasn't ready yet.

John gestured to the girls, who'd progressed from shoving each other around to something resembling a food fight, except that they were using utensils instead. Ronon followed the gesture, watching them with something that was almost a smile.

"Family." He frowned suddenly, turning on John. "They never find out I said that."

"The Shadows know everything, remember?" John reminded him, grinning.

Ronon growled, going back to his blade.

**

By the time they emerged on Atlantis, John had decided he needed a holiday to recover from his vacation. The Shadows were friendly enough, but everything turned into a competition and when he lost, they started treating him as if he was three.

"How was your trip?" Elizabeth asked, coming across the floor to join them.

"Interesting!" John said, shaking some mud off his jacket.

"Fine," Ronon said, spinning his new blade.

"He got a new toy, as you can see," John said sotto voice.

"Oh, I hadn't noticed," Elizabeth said brightly.

"Got one for Lorne too." John held up the staff; it was a little longer than he'd been expecting, and he almost hit her before he got it under control.

Lorne arrived before she could do more than glare; John tossed the staff to him and he caught it neatly. "Hey!"

"Present from the Shadows," John told him. "Not that I got any..."

Ronon pulled out a second knife, passing it to him. "Josi didn't want you to hug her."

Lorne swung the staff in a circle, testing it. "Nice."

"Got a pair of sticks for Teyla too, from Sora." John held up the package; Sora had strapped them together to make it easier for him to manage.

"I see! And Rodney?" Elizabeth asked.

"Rodney got an equation. He'll hate it." He dug the piece of paper out of a pocket, waving it at her.

"Assuming he can read it. Is that mud?"

John stuffed it back into his pocket. "Could be."

"Go get cleaned up," she said with a sigh, eying the pool of mud on the floor.

"Don't want your present?" Ronon asked. John looked back at him in surprise; Elizabeth was equally surprised, since she'd never met the girls.

"Ariana gave it to me before we left," he explained, handing a small device and a hand written list to Elizabeth. "If we need help..."

"When did..."

John cut himself off as Elizabeth said slowly, "This is..."

"List of planets they travel through and a list of known worlds with Wraith posts," Ronon filled in.

"And this?" She studied the little machine carefully.

"Communication."

"Secure and absolutely untraceable, right?" John asked warily.

"Did you expect anything less from her?"

"Nope," John said quickly.

Ronon grinned, turning back to Elizabeth to add, "It's emergency only, though."

"Good enough for me." Elizabeth passed the list to Lorne to study.

"I'd be careful, Elizabeth," John warned her. "You really don't want to upset them."

"John lost two points," Ronon said seriously.

"I did not, they never gave me those points in the first place!"

"Uh-huh."

"Go get cleaned up," Elizabeth said again.

"I didn't lose those points!" John insisted.

"I heard you." Ronon headed off; John chased him, insisting that he was still on six, had never been on eight, and when he did make it to eight he'd bloody well stay there, too!

"This a good sign?" Lorne asked softly, gesturing towards the machine in her hand and the staff in his.

"Anyone who can make John Sheppard act like a school boy is okay with me," Elizabeth answered.

"Want me to get McKay to check that thing out?"

"After the last time he touched one of Arianna's machines? No thanks."

Lorne laughed, taking the list up to Control to have the Gate techs start examining it, and Elizabeth headed back to her office, secure in the knowledge that their precarious alliance was still holding.


End file.
